₦airaland Forum

Some Lagos State workers were forced to return home on Wednesday 12 February 2020, after the gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway took a turn for the worse. The gridlock, which affected the two lanes of the road, led to a standstill of vehicular movement for many hours.

Some commuters, who became frustrated with the situation, disembarked from commercial vehicles and trekked to their destinations. Others, however, returned home.

PUNCH Metro gathered that several breakdowns of trucks at various sections of the expressway and a truck accident at the Kara end of the road compounded the gridlock. The lone accident, which happened around 6.30am, was reportedly caused by a yet-to-be-identified driver, who lost control of the truck while at top speed.

The truck was said to have crashed into a barricade at the point where the road was diverted due to ongoing construction works. It was learnt that the gridlock that resulted from the accident stretched from Berger to the Asese end of the expressway for motorists inbound Lagos, while vehicles en route to Ibadan, Oyo State, experienced gridlock from Berger to the Kara end of the road.

While speaking to PUNCH Metro, some commuters lamented spending hours in the gridlock on a journey that usually lasted minutes.

A civil servant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she was forced to go back home when she noticed that the journey was not making any progress. She said, “I got to Magboro bus stop around 7am and boarded a bus going to the Lagos secretariat for N500. I did not get to Arepo until around 9.30am. When I discovered the pace at which the vehicle was moving, I felt discouraged because I knew I won’t get to work until afternoon. So, I decided to disembark and return home.”

A motorist, who identified himself simply as Mr Adesuwa, said he wasted productive hours in the gridlock, urging the Federal Government to hasten contractors working on the road. He said, “I left my house around Ago-Igbala, Ibafo, for Victoria Island around 5am, but I did not get to the Long Bridge at Warewa until around 12.35pm.

“I have wasted the day inside this traffic and I don’t even know when I will get to the office. I cannot even turn back if I want to do so because everywhere is blocked. We want the Federal Government to hasten Julius Berger to finish this construction in time. We are suffering on this road and it’s not good for our health.”

Another worker, Mr Adeola Aderibigbe, said he aborted his journey after confirming through a phone application, Google Map, that there was gridlock on the expressway.

A trader, Toyosi Omoboriowo, said, “When I saw that time had gone, I had to disembark from the bus and return home because I did not know the time I would get to Idumota to buy my goods. A day cannot go by without gridlock on this road. The government should pity people living on this axis because this gridlock is getting too much for us.”

The Ogun State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Clement Oladele, said the corps and other emergency management agencies attended to the breakdowns on the road. He said, “Multiple breakdowns of trucks at different locations on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway resulted in gridlock on some sections of the expressway.

“The most pronounced of the breakdowns occurred with an overloaded truck travelling on speed out of Lagos conveying a container, but lost control around the Kara Bridge and crossed the road divider, blocking traffic on both sections of the expressway, impairing traffic into and out of Lagos.

“The gridlock stretched from the Kara Bridge towards Ibafo near Mowe and the same situation also affected traffic outward Lagos. The FRSC was assisted by sister traffic, security and emergency agencies to recover the trucks from the road.”

Meanwhile, two accidents also occurred in the Ketu and Mangoro, Ikeja areas, causing gridlock that prolonged the journey of motorists and commuters plying the affected routes.

At the accident scene in Mangoro, PUNCH Metro gathered that a Chinese construction company’s truck driver, Philip Patrick, while driving at top speed collided with two trucks belonging to the Dangote company and the Lagos State Waste Management Authority.

According to the Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Patrick, who was trapped after the accident, was rescued, stabilised and taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, for treatment.

He said, “The CCECC truck driver, Philip Patrick, was the only injured victim. The accident was caused by speeding and loss of concentration. Patrick was eventually extricated, treated and stabilised by LASAMBUS officials before he was taken to LASUTH for further treatment.”

In the Ketu area, it was learnt that an articulated truck laden with 20 ton pellets of metal had failed brakes and crashed into the median, spilling its content on the street. Vehicular movements in the area were said to have been affected, just as emergency responders intervened. LASEMA said no life was lost in the incident.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/workers-stranded-as-lagos-ibadan-road-gridlock-worsens/

A man, Jude Madu, escaped death by a whisker on Wednesday 12 February 2020 after his wife, identified simply as Mrs Madu, allegedly stabbed him while he was asleep at their house in Owerri, Imo State. A resident, Saviour Godwin, told PUNCH Metro that the enraged woman suspected her husband was cheating on her.

Godwin said the suspect waited until her husband slept before stabbing him three times. He said the man, who suddenly woke up, ran out and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri. Godwin said, “Mr Jude Madu, a resident of Owerri, was stabbed by his wife who suspected he had a side chic. The man luckily escaped and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where he is in critical condition and receiving treatment."

The police spokesperson in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, said the command was aware of the incident. “We have seen it online and the Commissioner of Police has ordered invesigation into the case,” he added.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/imo-housewife-stabs-husband-over-suspected-infidelity/

The Federal Government is working to ensure the movement of petrol and cooking gas by rail, the Petroleum Equalisation Fund Board, said on Wednesday. Poor maintenance and vandalism have left many government-owned fuel depots and pipelines idle for years, with the number of tankers on the roads increasing and wrecking havoc.

“We are going into railway equalisation. We are in consultation with the Nigeria Railway Corporation, and other stakeholders, including the private sector,” the Executive Secretary, PEF, Ahmed Bobboi, said during a panel session at the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit 2020 in Abuja.

Bobboi, who was represented by the General Manager, Corporate Services, PEF, Mr Goddy Nnadi, said the fund was discussing with stakeholders to ensure usage of rail for transporting petroleum products. “With the improvement in our rail system going on now, with government’s impetus towards making this available, we are going to use rail to make sure that gas, not just petrol, is made available to people in every part of the country,” he added.

He said that PEF would work with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the committees set up by government to enlighten Nigerians on the safe usage of gas for cooking.

The Chairman, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr Tunji Oyebanji, during an interview on the sidelines of the event, said the most efficient way of distributing products was through pipelines.

He said, “When you put 5 million litres into a pipeline, you can press the pump and it will come out in Enugu, while some will come out in another place. Nobody will see it because it will go under the ground.

“So, that is the most efficient means of distribution. But it takes a lot of money. The investment Nigeria made in the pipeline network, If we were to make it today, it will be significantly higher and you can only do it with private sector involvement. The country has a network of pipelines, totalling over 5,000 km in length, with 4,315km being multi-product pipelines but many have fallen into disuse.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/fg-to-move-petrol-cooking-gas-by-rail/

The Benin home of the Secretary of a faction of the All Progressive Congress in Edo State, Mr Lawrence Okah, was allegedly bombed in the early hours of Tuesday by unknown people. The faction is loyal to the APC National Chairman and ex-governor of the state Adams Oshiomhole.

The windows roof and some parts of the house were destroyed by the explosion, digging a hole where the device fell on. This is came barely 24 hours after the party’s national headquarters announced the reconstitution of a peace committee headed by ex-chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.

Okah, who spoke to journalists, said he was lucky to be alive as the first bomb thrown at his room did not explode.
He said some gunmen had earlier fired gunshots at his residence last week Tuesday. He pointed the finger at Governor Godwin Obaseki over the attack.

He said, “On Tuesday last week, I heard gunshots. They shot at my bedroom. The police came and picked up 52 bullets here. Yesterday at about 12.30am, I heard a loud noise. I called my security guards and they said it looked like a bomb. The one they threw at my bedroom did not detonate. If that one had detonated you would not have seen me.”

A leader of the party in the state, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who visited Okah, told Obaseki to caution his men, adding that Edo should not be turned to a war zone. He said Obaseki and his deputy Philip Shaibu must not kill to get a second term.

Ize-Iyamu, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC recently, said, “Since the beginning of these series of attacks on our members in the state, we are surprised that no arrest has been made. First, it was the shooting incident in which two persons were injured at Henry Idahagbon’s chambers. It was followed by the bombing of Francis Inegbeneki’s residence and now Lawrence Okah’s home was bombed this morning.

“Will the police say they don’t know how to go about it or not. We know that if the police want to do their job they can do it perfectly, so we are calling on them to do their job and save our lives.”

Idahagbon alleged that Obaseki was raising a killer squad and had marked some of them for attacks. The ex-Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state said, “What we are seeing in the state now cannot stop some of us from holding back on our decision that Obaseki will be replaced. We are not deterred by these acts of harassments and attacks but he should be warned not to push us to the wall because if we are pushed to the wall we surely know what to do.”

But Obaseki, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said the state chapter of the APC was peaceful until the EPM (Edo People’s Movement) commenced their “nefarious activities” across the state.

He said, “We are quite flustered that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has not been able to rein in his people in the face of the reconstitution of the APC National Reconciliation Committee tasked with restoring lasting peace in the party, both in the state and across the country. We are committed to peace and would do right by the people of Edo State by continually supporting all credible means to arrive at lasting peace in the state.”

Obaseki called on the Presidency and the Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu to caution Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu and “their cohorts in the EPM so that the destructive descent to violence does not erode the good legacies that have been built over the years by the APC in Edo State”.

Spokesman for the police in the state, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, could not be reached for comments as of the time of filing this report.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/oshiomhole-obaseki-loyalists-trade-words-over-edo-explosion/

D’Tigress have moved up 3 places to 14th in the new rankings released by FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basketball) on Thursday. The women’s national team garnered 366.6 points to be ranked the first team in Africa.

They are also the second highest climbers, only bettered by Mozambique, who moved up 7 places to 36th in the world and 3rd in Africa. D’Tigress moved up after qualifying for the 2020 Olympics, defeating Mozambique and losing to Serbia and USA in the process.

The top 6 in the world ranking is unchanged with USA, Australia, Spain, Canada, France and Turkey in that order, dominating the ranking. Belgium moved up 2 places to be ranked 7th in the world, while Serbia and China are ranked 8th and 9th ahead of Japan in 10th place.

Senegal are the 2nd ranked African country, 28th in the world, while Angola and Mali make up the top 5 ranked African countries at 41st and 45th in the world respectively.

D’Tigress will know their Olympics opponents on March 21, when FIBA will hold the draws, with the February rankings to be used in determining the seeding.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/dtigress-now-14th-in-latest-fiba-ranking/

Quality of locally-produced rice in Nigeria has recorded significant improvement in recent weeks, as the latest Nairametrics Household Survey revealed that more brands of local rice continue to flood major markets in Lagos, thereby pulling down the prices.

According to the latest Survey, the price of local rice reduced significantly across major markets in Lagos as new brands of locally made rice were sighted in various markets. Bags of locally-made rice now sell for an average of N19,250 compared to the initial average of N20,750.

The report also showed that 10kg bags of locally produced rice reduced from N4,000 last month to N3,500 last week. The report has items that witnessed decrease in prices, Items that increased in prices, Items that maintained initial prices, special markets accounts and market insights.


ITEMS THAT WITNESSED PRICE DECREASE
-- 10kg bag Mama Gold rice & Rice Master reduced to N3,500 compared to initial average of N4,000 & N4,250 respectively.
-- 50kg Mama Gold rice currently sells for N19,250, a 7.23% reduction compared to initial N20,750.
-- 50kg bag Caprice reduced to average of N25,750 compared to initial average of N26,167.
-- 50kg brown beans (Oloyin) sells for N12,500, a 3.85% reduction compared to N13,000 two weeks ago.
-- 50kg regular brown beans sells for N20,375, a 13.3% reduction in contrast to N23,500 in January.
-- 50kg white beans reduced to an average of N19,875 from an initial average of N21,250.
-- Price of pepper decreased yet again, as a big bag now sells for an average of N6,000 from initial N6,500.
-- Medium bag pepper which was sold for N5,000 two weeks ago reduced by 4% to sell for N4,800.

ITEMS THAT WITNESSED PRICE INCREASE
Among items that witnessed increase in their prices are yam, locally made groundnut oil, tomatoes and onions among others.

-- Big yam tuber sells for average N850 from initial average of N813, indicating 4.62% increase within 2 weeks.
-- Medium-sized yam tuber increased 4.17% to sell for an average of N625.
-- 25-litre gallon local vegetable oil sells for average N13,075, a 1.55% increase compared to initial N12,875.
-- A basket of round tomatoes that enjoyed consistent price reductions in recent weeks witnessed relative price increase as a big basket now sells for average N6,500 compared to initial N6,000, representing 8.33% increase.
-- Medium-sized basket of tomatoes currently sells for N3,800 compared to initial N3,500 in January.
-- Big bag of dry onions currently sells for N22,000 from initial N20,000. It increased by 10% within 2 weeks.
-- Big bag of new onions costs N19,000, a 5.56% increment compared to N18,000 in January.

ITEMS THAT MAINTAINED INITIAL PRICES
-- Big baskets of sweet potatoes & Irish potatoes still retain their initial prices at N4,300 & N18,000 respectively.
-- Bag of Royal Stallion (Foreign) rice maintained initial price at N27,000.
-- Bag of flour remains unchanged at an average of N11,275.
-- Bag of maize (both yellow & white) maintain their initial prices at N14,000 & N15,500 respectively.
-- Kilo of fish (Kote) continues to sell for average N478 as Titus fish also maintains N485 as sold 2 weeks ago.
-- Some other items that maintained initial prices include cartons of noodles, refilling of household cooking gas, beverages and crates of eggs.

SPECIAL MARKET
Sellers of locally produced palm oil and groundnut oil at Daleko market told Nairametrics Research that their prices are reducing gradually, compared to December.

“A big drum of groundnut oil, that was sold between the range of N115,000 and N120, 0000 in December is now sold for an average of N108,000, while palm oil of the same quantity sells for an average of N72,000 compared to an average of N80,000.”

We also gathered that the price of a big bunch of plantains that was sold in December for N1,500 at Idi-Oro market reduced to N1,000 in February while a smaller sized bunch now sells for N800 compared to N1,000 in December.

Nairametrics Research Team gathered that the continuous supply of new brands of locally produced rice is a result of farmers’ willingness to produce rice to meet the country’s needs. This has crashed the price of the commodity to N19,000 from an initial N21,000.

A rice seller at Daleko market praised producers of locally made rice, as the volume of stony rice in the various markets has reduced drastically, while also producing rice that could measure up with foreign-made rice in terms of quality.

Some of the new brands of locally made rice sighted in the markets include Famous Rice, Our Rice, JGW New-World Rice and Al-flux Rice, all of which sell within the range of N18,000 and N19,000 while Mai-Nasari rice cost an average of N16,000.

Nairametrics Food Price Watch is a bi-weekly household market survey that covers prices of major food items, with emphasis on 5 major markets in Lagos – Mushin, Daleko, Oyingbo, Idi-Oro and Mile 12, markets.

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2020/02/12/quality-of-local-rice-improves-as-food-prices-drop-across-major-markets/

A chieftain of the faction of the All Progressives Congress loyal to Adams Oshiomhole, Mr Francis Inegbeneki, in this interview with SOLA SHITTU accuses Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, of being behind the violence in the state

Q: How did you receive the news of the bombing of your house in Benin?

A: I was shocked when I heard the news. In fact, my first concern was my wife and son who were in the house when the incident happened. But I thank God because none of them was hurt. It was only the car parked outside that was seriously damaged. Really it would have been more than that if the two bombs had exploded, but it was only one that caused such a huge damage.

My guard told me that the attackers threw the bomb over the fence into the premises and that when they threw the first one and heard nothing, it was then they threw the second one which exploded and caused the damage. The guard also said he saw them when they came in a Toyota Hilux pickup around 3 am. He said they (the attackers) probably couldn’t initially recognise the house. So, they drove off and then came back later to throw the bomb.

Q: How would you react to the allegation that Oshiomole is the one sponsoring the attack just to blackmail the government and create a state of lawlessness?

A: That’s arrant nonsense. Let me tell you something. Oshiomhole, even when he was contesting against the PDP as governor, never introduced violence into his politics. When people like Philip Shaibu tried to introduce students’ union politics, Oshiomhole was the one who cautioned him and asked them never to engage in violence. There was no violence throughout the eight years that he was governor. The tactics of the Godwin Obaseki/Philip Shaibu camp is to try and subdue the main APC members because of the general rejection of Obaseki’s second term ambition.

You cannot force the people to support you. What you can do if you are truly a politician is to lobby them. That is what politics is all about. You cannot have your way all the time. You have to consult and negotiate with others. But rather than working for the people of Edo State, Obaseki has abandoned governance and is busy chasing people.

Q: You were accused of violating government order banning rallies in the state. Why?

A. Let me tell you, that order in itself is illegal. On the issue of rally, a political party is only required to only write to the police to provide security for a rally. It doesn’t mean political parties should seek permission from police before the rallies are held.

The state government has no power to do that. Are you saying if the PDP wants to have a rally, Obaseki will not allow it? What of himself, did he not hold a rally at Ehor? So what do they mean? He held a rally at Ehor and he has been holding meetings with PDP chieftains in Edo. Did anybody stop him? He had been holding rallies and meetings all over the state even with PDP members and we are not complaining.

So, he has no right to stop any rally in Edo State. We are aware that his plan is to destroy the APC in the state. He wanted to create the Zamfara situation in Edo State and that is why you see them in different courts trying to get orders to sack the national chairman or make sure we don’t have the State Working Committee in Edo State. But the NWC is the one handling primary and we know the genuine members of the party in the state.

Q: Obaseki has accused Oshiomhole of sponsoring violence in the state with the hope that the Federal Government will use that to declare state of emergency. How do you react to this?

A: Of course you know the allegation is not true. How can Oshiomhole be the one sponsoring violence against himself? Does that make sense at all? To any right-thinking person, it is absurd and we wonder if they think rationally at all. Oshiomhole is the national chairman of the party. His dream is to ensure that the party wins election in every state of the federation. How can the same Oshiomhole be the one sponsoring violence in his own state? What does he stands to gain from that?

Besides, Oshiomhole is in Abuja and Obaseki is in Edo as the governor of the state. Is it not the duty of the governor to ensure peace in the state? How can Oshiomole, who is in Abuja, be the one breeding violence when it is on record that when Oshiomhole came to Edo to receive a former PDP governorship candidate, Pastor Ize Iyamu, to the APC, the governor sent thugs after him. They set bonfires on airport road and vowed that Oshiomhole would not enter Benin. They took over everywhere and therefore made it difficult for Oshiomole to get to his house. We understand that people were shot and about 15 were hospitalised.

Let me tell you something, Obaseki is a neophyte in politics and that is the truth. If he knows his onions, he should know by now that he cannot get anything with violence. He said Akinwunmi Ambode, the former governor of Lagos was removed because he did not fight and that Edo is not Lagos. What we understand he is planning is that he is instigating violence so as to instill fears in the hearts of the people so they can give him the second term ticket.

Q: If at this stage there is so much violence in the state, do you think the primary can hold?

A: Why not, of course it will hold. Edo is just one state in Nigeria. We have had issues like that before. For instance before the primary in Kogi State, everybody thought it was going to be tough but at the end what happened, it was very peaceful.

Q: The Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, submitted a petition to the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services seeking the arrest of Oshiomhole. What’s your take on this?

A: That’s laughable because I don’t know the reason why they are calling for Oshiomole’s arrest. Obaseki and Shaibu are the ones setting fire on Edo State, chasing our party members about, shooting and threatening them with guns.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/obaseki-using-violence-to-secure-apc-gov-ticket-oshiomholes-ally/

Emmanuel Gyang and his wife, Deborah Pam, have emerged as the first Nigerians to complete the 42km race at the 2020 Lagos City Marathon. The PUNCH reports that Gyang, who was the fist male Nigerian, finished 33rd overall with a time of 2:25.30secs. Pam was the first female Nigerian to get to finish in her category, finishing 14th overall with a time of 2:45.17secs.

The couple had exactly three weeks after their wedding emerged the first Nigerian finishers in their respective categories at the seventh edition of the Okpekpe 10km International Road Race. Popularly referred to as Nigeria’s No.1 long-distance couple, Gyan and Pam got married in May 2019.

Gyan, an athlete from Plateau State, also emerged as the first Nigerian at the 2019 Abeokuta Road Race, clocking 31.03secs behind Kenya’s Biwott Alan Kemboi who finished first in 28.76secs.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/breaking-husband-wife-emerge-first-nigerians-to-finish-lagos-marathon-race/

The Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Mr Anthony Sani, insisted on Thursday that no true Muslim could desecrate Islam in the name for killing human beings for God. The ACF scribe stated this while reacting to the assertion made by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), that 90% of victims of Boko Haram attacks were Muslim.

Sani said the insurgents could not be said to be targeting Christians in their terror attacks. He noted that the insurgents’ resort to religion was for strategic reasons meant to attract the gullible as cannon fodder. Sani said though he did not have the exact figures, he agreed that most Boko Haram members were Muslims and from the North-East.

He added, “The sect do not target only Christians but also Muslims who they believe are not willing to adhere to their version of Islam, even though we all know Boko Haram is not pursuing any jihad but in search of mundane things like political power. Their resort to religion is for strategic reasons meant to attract the gullible as canon fodders. That was why President (Barack) Obama once made a clear distinction between Islam and Islamic terrorism, which desecrates Islam.

“No true Muslim can desecrate Islam by killing people for God, who does not need anybody to kill for Him. I want to believe Boko Haram is a common enemy to all Nigerians.”

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/no-true-muslim-can-kill-for-god-acf-secretary/

A study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) put the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria to 13.5 million – as of 2018. Majority of this number comes from Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, and other northern states.

In December 2019, Jigawa state government announced it would open a bidding process for construction of 95 mosques across the state. This is a state with over 800,000 out-of-school children!

According to a survey by the Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN), there are more than 800,000 out-of-school children between the ages of 3 and 18 in Jigawa. In Kano, there are about 1 million out-of-school children in the state. This is according to Peter Hawkins, UNICEF representative to Nigeria, who disclosed this at a 4-day workshop organised for commissioners and permanent secretaries from the 19 northern states in August 2019.

In Katsina, there are approximately 1 million out-of-school children. Though, Aminu Masari, governor of the state, put the number at 996,000. Ditto Zamfara. In addition, reports by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reveal that the north-west region has the highest number of drug-related arrests in years, with 2,205 arrests in 2015 alone.

A motion on drug abuse in the north adopted by the senate in 2017 disclosed that 3 million bottles of codeine were consumed by drug abusers daily in Kano and Jigawa. Also, Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), revealed that 70% of youth (essentially the young boys) abuse illicit drugs in Kano.

When you put all these numbers together what you have is chaos, banditry and kidnapping. In June, 2019, the federal government said it was considering proscribing the Al-majiri system of education in order to tackle insecurity. Babagana Monguno, national security adviser, who disclosed this at the end of the national executive council meeting in Abuja, said the ban is to ensure no child is deprived of basic education.

He said Almajiris were becoming a prodigious problem to society, and that many of them end up becoming “criminals, drug addicts and willing tools in the hands of those who have very dangerous intentions’’.

But what happened when the government revealed its intention to ban this atrocious system? There was a piercing outcry from the north that it was an attempt against a religious ordinance they hold dear. Afterwards, the government buckled under pressure and announced it was no longer going ahead with the plan. Yet the situation remains the same. But who does the current regime of child illiteracy and ignorance in the north benefit? The northern elite!

The only pragmatic reason I can advance on why northern leaders do not consider it an emergency to end the Al-majiri system and commence mass education of their young population is politics. They are comfortable with the status quo as long as they get power. It is to their advantage presiding over an uneducated populace who can be manipulated and deployed for political ends.

Muhammad Sanusi II, the gadfly emir of Kano, whom I regard as John the Baptist of the north for his vociferous condemnation of this disequilibrious status quo, is alone in his advocacy against irresponsible polygamy, Al-majiri and child marriage – practices the northern elite espouse.

The emir himself has complained about the northern elite, whom he says want to silence him for speaking the truth about the region.

‘’Our colleagues and compatriots among the elite do not like statistics. Numbers are disturbing. I recently gave a speech in which I said the north-east and North-west of Nigeria are the poorest parts of the country. This simple statement of fact has generated so much heat; the noise has yet to die down.The response to this speech has been a barrage of personal attacks and insults aimed at silencing any voices that dare shine the light on the society to which we are saying Bring Back our Girls,’’ he said at a lecture held to commemorate the Chibok girls abduction.

Who will bell the cat? Why is there no sense of urgency on the part of the northern elite? Why is there no alarm? Why the deafening silence? What are they doing to seminally address the remote causes of banditry by their youth?

Now that banditry and kidnapping, brought on by the calculated disempowerment of the young population of the north by the elite, is threatening the peace and security of every Nigerian, I suggest northern leaders run the gauntlet. They cannot wish this away. Now is not the time for politics and pandering to sensitivities. Now is the time they tell themselves the truth; they created this Frankenstein.

Fredrick Nwabufo is a writer and journalist.
@FredrickNwabufo

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.thecable.ng/the-northern-elite-created-these-bandits

The South-East zone has topped other regions in Nigeria, with the highest number of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) incidents in Nigeria. Executive Secretary National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, on 28 January 2020 in Owerri, made the disclosure at the public hearing and investigation into cases of sexual-based violence in the country.

He added that out of the 114 cases received from the 6 geo-political zones of the country, the South East region had 41 of the cases. It was followed by South-South (26) North Central (19), South West (15) and North East (4).

According to Ojukwu, “The core mandate of the Commission is to promote, protect and enforce the human rights of Nigerians and all living within the country. In realizing this mandate, the Commission can investigate all alleged cases of human rights violations as well as monitoring developments in various thematic areas.

“Human rights; assisting victims of human rights violations through appropriate awards and compensation; bringing its findings to the attention of the government to ensure government compliance with its international and regional human rights obligations, etc.

“So far, the Panel has received one hundred and fourteen (114) complaints/memo across the six (6) geo-political zones with South East accounting for the highest number of forty-one (41) representing 36% of total complaints received. North Central accounts for nineteen (19); North West has twelve (12); South-South has twenty-six (26); South West fifteen (12); and North East four (4).

“This is to enable the panel have firsthand information on different type of cases being handled/managed by the centres. The Commission after its sittings in Owerri will replicate this sitting in Abakaliki, Benin City, Calabar, Kano, Yola and a return to Abuja to complete pending complaints before it.

“This will enable all victims of all SGBV all over the federation to be heard. We, therefore, urge other victims of sexual and gender-based violence to forward their complaints to the Panel. The Panel assures of adequate protection of identity whereof victim(s).”

He highlighted further that, “The essence of this Public sitting is to check the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria and increase access of Nigerians to the services of the Commission to seek for accountability where there is evidence to indicate that any officer or officials or any individuals have been involved in acts of sexual and gender-based violence.

“The public sitting is also to provide opportunities for a fair hearing to both complainants and alleged violators and to mainstream human rights norms and tenets into the operations of AEPB, Law enforcement officials and members of the public, etc in line with global best practices and internationally accepted human rights standards.

“The public inquiry will furthermore provide stakeholders opportunity to contribute ideas on how best to develop guidelines and policy on sexual and gender-based violence for institutions, MDAs, public and private organizations and homes that can serve as good practices against the backdrop of reported cases of abuse.

“May I use this opportunity to commend the complainants and the public for the courage to lodge their complaints and submit memoranda to this Panel despite some reported cases of intimidation. I want to assure all that this Panel and the Commission will adhere to the principles of a fair hearing in discharging its functions and will not stand idle and watch while the fundamental human rights of citizens are being trampled upon and violated by law enforcement agencies, entities or individuals. The Panel will sit in private when the situation demands, to protect the victims from stigmatization and other challenges associated with Sexual and Gender-Based Violence cases.”

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/01/sexual-and-gender-violence-south-east-with-highest-number-of-cases-ojukwu/

QUOTE: "The poverty level of the North is 80%; while in the South, it is 20%, simply because of the culture of marrying many wives and producing many children who, at the end, are left on the streets to beg for what to eat." — Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II. PUNCH, January 27, 2020.

I FEEL sorry for Emir Sanusi.

That would appear to some as funny. How can a poor pen-pusher feel sorry for a billionaire? The reason is simple. One of the founding fathers of Economics, Alfred Marshall, 1842-1924, enjoined us that: “The economist, like anyone else, must concern himself with the ultimate aims of man.” (VBQ p 45).

Sad and frightening as it is to say, the fate of Nigeria is inextricably tied to how we address the grave matter of deepening poverty – especially in the North. Sanusi has my sympathy because like the only half-blind man in the country of the totally blind and those with 20-20 vision, he is an odd individual.

He has spoken on many of the problems of the North which are tied to traditions which unfortunately the politicians and the people themselves are reluctant to relinquish. As someone who lived in the North for 10 years and who had been touring the region since 1974, I have had opportunity to be directly involved in some efforts to eradicate poverty in the area. It has invariably turned out to be like pouring water into a basket. You return to the “basket” after discharging a bucket full of water only to find nothing in it.

It is frustrating. From 1980 to 1990, I worked and lived mostly in Kano – with frequent trips to all the Northern states as required by my position as the Marketing Manager, MM, of a brewery – the largest employer of labour in Kano. Later in my final years, when General Buhari’s regime insisted that food and beverage companies must compulsorily go into farming, I found myself in Karu, then part of Plateau, but now part of Nasarawa State.

North Brewery and Norbru Farms exposed me to the problems Sanusi talks about and how they combine to make eradication of poverty a mission almost impossible – without a revolutionary change in traditions and culture. "Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of soul impossible" —Michael De Montaigne, 1533-1592, VBQ, p 194.

Eradication of poverty will remain an impossible task in Nigeria as long as there is poverty of soul defined by French essayist Montaigne as “continuing to engage in the activities which will lead to poverty.” Most Nigerians, and especially Northerners, exhibit this tendency as one real story will illustrate.

I made three personal pledges when the job was offered to me in 1980. First, I will remain in the region until my retirement. Second, given the relative comfort which employment in the brewery conferred, I would not concentrate on the “rat race” – for which young executives were known at the time. I was by far the youngest of the three Marketing Managers of the three largest breweries. I was well ahead of my generation of managers. Third, I was going to tackle poverty privately by taking under my wings families living in poverty and bring them up.

The chance came to start my private poverty alleviation programme about 3 months after my resumption in Kano. The man who gave me hope and later dashed it was one late Yinusa Idi. He had already been engaged as the supervisor in charge of loading and off-loading cartons of beer. Heading a labour staff 300-man strong, he was the heart and soul of the business despite his low education – he had gone as far as primary 2 and spoke very little English. But, with none of the others ever going to school, he was the link man between managers and the crowd.

He was conscious of his power and frequently was guilty of insubordination. His confrontation with his direct boss – the Distribution Manager, DM, who reported to me – brought us face to face for the first time. It was literally “love at first sight”. Having been briefed about him by the DM, I was prepared for the worst. Instead what followed was almost miraculous.

He was ushered in by my secretary with a strong warning not to be rude to Oga – otherwise he would get sacked. He entered the office; took one look at me and went back to my secretary saying in Hausa “but he is a small boy!!!” He was pushed back in. I offered him a seat. But, he declined saying he can never seat in his Oga’s office – even if he is Yaro (small boy). I insisted. I had been told he smoked. So, I offered him a cigarette from the packs we kept for visitors and lit it for him. In less than ten minutes, the DM was called in and Yinusa did what he never did before – he sincerely apologised. The news was all over the yard within hours. More important, Yinusa and I had an appointment after closing hours. We talked.

He informed me he was living in a community near Gezawa – about 25 kilometres from Kano with 2 wives and 7 children – six girls and one boy. We were going into business as Cattle Breeders and Owners – I was going to provide the capital and he was in charge of recruiting the herdsmen and negotiating the remuneration packages as well as other conditions of service. The business was literarily a gold mine – except the reserves in gold mine get diminished but a well managed cattle business increases its reserves.

Yinusa was an exceptional manager of our resources – while I, as an economist, provided the mental as well as financial capital. We were already making money in two years. So, in addition to his income from the brewery, he was also receiving monthly stipends from me. It was eventually agreed that he would send his son to school. He adamantly refused to send any of the girls – two of who were 9 and 8 years old when we met. I paid for the boy’s education; he eventually became a teacher when last I saw him in Kano.

While all these good developments were unfolding and I was tactfully advising Yinusa about limiting the number of children he had, other forces – the poverties of the soul – were at work. The two wives were in hot competition with regard to having more kids. Furthermore, with his new status as a “Cattle Owner”, friends and neighbours were after him with young girls. My friend (he really was a friend) had two weaknesses – smoking and women. Although he worked in a brewery, he never touched alcohol.

The combination of all these pressures led to a great tragedy in the 4th year. I was seconded to one of our sister breweries in Lagos for 5 months. I returned to receive the good/bad news – depending on whether you are an economist or traditionalist. Yinusa’s two wives had delivered babies, one of them twins; and he had married a new wife who was in the family way. One other girl of thirteen claimed that Yinusa was responsible for her pregnancy and Yinusa was getting ready to accept responsibilities. To everyone in his community, especially his friends, this was good news.

I could not hold back the tears – for the same reason why I know that Buhari can never lead us out of poverty – given his own mindset and those closest to him – unlike those of the Emir of Kano. Per capita income, or income per person, is the basic metric economists use to measure financial welfare or poverty. Countries which enjoy increasing income invariably have adopted strong birth control measures. The nation’s or community’s or family’s income must grow faster that the number of people sharing it.

China’s population had been growing at less than 1% while its Gross Domestic Product, GDP, grew at over 9% for two decades. That was how China got over 100 million people out of poverty in 10 years. Nigeria, as a whole, is like Yinusa. We still cling to the notion that parents can have 5 or 6 kids and still prosper. The poverty of soul hinders us always.

LAST LINE: Yinusa died in a car accident about 7 months after, leaving behind all the rest. His first wife became a great-grandmother at 40.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/02/perpetual-curse-of-poverty-in-nigeria/

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday exercised its constitutional powers to deregister political parties that failed to meet established criteria.

At a press conference in Abuja, Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, announced that following an assessment of the 92 political parties in Nigeria, the commission decided to re-register 74 of them.

He said the affected parties failed to meet the criteria provided for by section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which include: “breach of any of the requirements for registration as a party, failure to win at least 25% of the votes cast in one state in a presidential election or 25% of the votes cast in one local government area, and failure to win at least one ward in a Chairmanship election, one seat in the national or state assembly election or one seat in a councilorship election”.

By the end of its assessment, INEC said only 18 political parties survived, including one registered after the elections and another that obtained a court order to avoid being deregistration.

Here are the remaining 18 parties:

S/No. NAME OF PARTY ACRONYM
1. Accord Party A
2. Action Alliance AA
3. African Action Congress AAC
4. African Democratic Congress ADC
5. African Democratic Party ADP
6. All Progressives Congress APC
7. All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA
8. Allied Peoples Movement APM
9. Labour Party LP
10. New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP
11. National Rescue Movement NRM
12. Peoples Democratic Party PDP
13. Peoples Redemption Party PRP
14. Social Democratic Party SDP
15. Young Progressive Party YPP
16. Zenith Labour Party ZLP
17. Action Peoples Party APP
18. Boot Party BT

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/full-list-the-18-parties-that-survived-inecs-hammer

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Thursday 06 February 2020, deregistered 74 political parties. Here is the full list:

(1) AAP – Advanced Allied Party
(2) ABP – All Blending Party
(3) ACD- Advanced Congress Of Democrats
(4) ACPN – Allied Congress Party Of Nigeria
(5) AD – Alliance For Democracy
(6) AGA – All Grassroots Alliance
(7) AGAP – All Grand Alliance Party
( ANDP – Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party
(9) ANN – Alliance For New Nigeria
(10) ANP – Alliance National Party
(11) ANRP – Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party
(12) APA – African People Alliance
(13) APDA – Advanced People’s Democratic Alliance
(14) APN – Alternative Party Of Nigeria
(15) ASD – Alliance Of Social Democrats
(16) AUN – Alliance For A United Nigeria
(17) BNPP – Better Nigeria Progressive Party
(18) CAP – Change Advocacy Party
(19) CC – Coalition For Change
(20) CNP – Change Nigeria Party
(21) COP – Congress Of Patriots
(22) DA – Democratic Alternative
(23) DPC – Democratic People’s Congress
(24) DPP – Democratic People’s Party
(25) FDP – Fresh Democratic Party
(26) FJP – Freedom And Justice Party
(27) GDPN – Grassroots Development Party Of Nigeria
(28) GPN – Green Party Of Nigeria
(29) HDP – Hope Democratic Party
(30) ID – Independent Democrats
(31) JMPP – Justice Must Prevail Party
(32) KP – Kowa Party
(33) LM – Liberation Movement
(34) LPN – Legacy Party Of Nigeria
(35) MAJA – Mass Action Joint Alliance
(36) MDP – Modern Democratic Party
(37) MMN – Masses Movement Of Nigeria
(38) MPN – Mega Party Of Nigeria
(39) MRDD – Movement For The Restoration And Defence Of Democracy
(40) NAC – National Action Council
(41) NCMP – Nigeria Community Movement Party
(42) NCP – National Conscience Party
(43) NDCP – Nigeria Democratic Congress Party
(44) NDLP – National Democratic Liberty Party
(45) NEPP – Nigeria Elements Progressive Party
(46) NFD – Nigeria For Democracy
(47) NGP – New Generation Party Of Nigeria
(48) NIP – National Interest Party
(49) NPC – Nigeria People’s Congress
(50) NPM – New Progressive Movement
(51) NUP – National Unity Party
(52) PCP – People’s Coalition Party
(53) PDC – People For Democratic Change
(54) PDM – People’s Democratic Movement
(55) PPA – Progressive People’s Alliance
(56) PPC – Providence People’s Congress
(57) PPN – People’s Party Of Nigeria
(58) PPP – People’s Progressive Party
(59) PT – People’s Trust
(60) RAP – Reform And Advancement Party
(61) RBNP – Re-Build Nigeria Party
(62) RP – Restoration Party Of Nigeria
(63) SNC – Save Nigeria Congress
(64) SNP – Sustainable National Party
(65) SPN – Socialist Party Of Nigeria
(66) UDP – United Democratic Party
(67) UP – United Patriots
(68) UPC – United People’s Congress
(69) UPN – Unity Party Of Nigeria
(70) UPP – United Progressive Party
(71) WTPN – We The People Nigeria
(72) YDP – Young Democratic Party
(73) YES – Electorates Solidarity
(74) YP – Youth Party

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/full-list-74-deregistered-political-parties/

American sport wear manufacturer, Nike, has unveiled the new home and away jerseys for Nigeria’s national football team, Completesports.com reports. Nike made the announcement in a statement released on their official website on Wednesday.

The jerseys of Nigeria along with that of USA and South Korea were revealed on Wednesday with the remaining federations being launched during the next few months.

Commenting on Nigeria’s new jerseys, Nike stated: “In 2018, Naija changed the game with a collection for the ages that set a new standard for how Nike approaches federation design. In 2020, Nigeria picks up right where they left off with a home kit that fuses the traditional aesthetic of an agbada robe with modern football design.

“The kit’s pattern was hand drawn and is highly symbolic of Nigerian heritage with nods to nobility and family. Nigeria’s crest is placed centrally on the chest with a Swoosh underneath it. The player names and numbers integrate the eagle feather into the application. “Naija” appears inside the neck of jersey and on the back of the socks in a new typeface.

“The away kit is inspired by Onaism, a traditional artistic movement central to Nigerian design and craft represented in the trim details. An eagle feather aesthetic, creatively distorted, continuously repeats in ascending size to create a visual impact. The collar has a slight V overlap with a thicker overlap in the back. Both the collar and the sleeves feature a slight nick at the mid-point.

“The broader Naija collection will feature an extensive array of Super Eagles apparel including a poncho, vest, dress and more.”

The Super Eagles will dorn the new jersey when the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers kick-off in March.

SOURCE: https://www.completesports.com/nike-unveils-new-nigeria-national-teams-jerseys/

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shuaibu, has said the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, must apologise if he wants true reconciliation in Edo State chapter of the party. Shuaibu said this while speaking with newsmen, in Abuja, on Tuesday 04 February 2020. He was in Abuja to represent Governor Godwin Obaseki at a meeting of the Progressives Governors’ Forum.

The deputy governor said, “The only condition for the two of us to be on the same page politically is for him (Oshiomhole) to come back to Edo State as a father and say, what has happened is in the past; I believe now Governor Obaseki has taken governance to the next level and for all of us to come back together and vote him for the second term.

“When he (Oshiomhole) does that, I will now be on the same page with him politically.” When asked if it was not illegal to ban a lawful gathering of the APC supporters in an APC governed state, he said no rally could hold in the state without the governor’s permission.

Shuaibu said, “You heard from Comrade Oshiomhole that the governor permitted other parties to hold rally but refused him. (An) APC rally can only hold in Edo State with the approval of the governor, who is the leader of the party in the state. The question is, will Oshiomhole go to Kano, Katsina or Imo or any APC state without the approval of the governors?”

A faction of the party led by the suspended state chairman, Anselm Ojezua, and some Oshiomhole loyalists have been engaged in a war of attrition over the control of the state party machinery. 14 members-elect of the Edo State House of Assembly who have pledged allegiance to Oshiomhole, have yet to be inaugurated.

Obaseki had rejected the Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje-led APC Fact-Finding Committee set up by the party’s National Working Committee. He also objected to the composition of the Senator Ahmed Lawan-led APC National Reconciliation Committee which has yet to begin sitting.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/oshiomhole-must-apologise-if-he-wants-reconciliation-shuaibu/

The Osun State Government on Tuesday 04 February 2020, suspended registration of new commercial motorcyclists, to prevent those who have lost their means of livelihood (after Lagos State banned okada operators from major roads) from invading the state.

A statement by Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Transport, Toke Olaniyan, said the state would soon commence registration of motorcycle owners and riders. The statement read, ”At this moment we have issued a statement to stop further registration for fresh okada riders and operators.

“We want all persons to be observant and vigilant. Any strange motorcycle operator should be reported immediately to the security agencies.”

Also, the Ogun State Chairman, Committee on Transportation, Sunday Adeniyi, said the state government would take advantage of the influx of okada riders to the state. Adeniyi however, said they would not tolerate lawlessness.

According to him, the Lagos ban “has taken effect on the state with the influx of okada riders to Alagbole, Akute, Ajuwon, Ojodu Berger, Mowe, Ibafo and Ogijo areas. We don’t want vagabonds and layabouts to take advantage of this influx to Ogun State.”

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/osun-stops-fresh-registration-of-okada-riders/

A mild drama was staged at Amakohia Uratta in the Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State on Monday as robbers ordered their victim to use his wheelbarrow to convey his stolen belongings to a place where they parked their operational vehicle.

The robbers were said to have taken away some of the belongings of their victim before ordering him to convey them in his wheelbarrow, from where they were transferred to the waiting vehicle.

The victim, Nnamdi Madubuko, who hails from Ubulu in the Oru West Local Government Area of the state, told PUNCH Metro that the incident happened around 1.27am. Madubuko stated that the three armed robbers gained entry into his residence, ordered him, his wife and three children to lie on the ground before gathering his plasma TV, CD player and speakers, table top refrigerator, mobile telephones, gas burner, cylinder and an undisclosed amount of money.

He said, “In the wee hours, I heard a noise of door breakage and the armed robbers entered my house. We were ordered to lie down and very quickly, they started removing the items. We did not make any noise, because they threatened to shoot if we made any noise. I only rose from the forced slumber when I was asked if I had a wheelbarrow.

“With my wheelbarrow, I was forced to convey my belongings outside my residence and near the road, where they parked their operational vehicle. On getting there, I was told to help them put my belongings in the vehicle. But because there was no light, I couldn’t see the brand of the car they used or their faces. I packed my stolen belongings into the motor and they told me to go back with my wheelbarrow. On my way back, they drove off. They were professional and fearless as they carried out the operation without fear of molestation.”

Madubuko added that the robbers told him after he had helped them in packing the items into the vehicle, “Thank you, Mr Man for doing business with us,” before they sped off.

When contacted on the telephone, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Orlando Ikeokwu, said he was not aware of the incident. “The matter has not been reported to me. I have not been briefed on it. The best thing is for the victim to report the incident to the police, because if we eventually find any of the items, he cannot lay claim to it,” Ikeokwu added.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/imo-robbers-force-victim-to-convey-stolen-belongings/

CAMBRIDGE, MA—Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former finance minister of Nigeria and former managing director of the World Bank, has been named the next Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. The announcement was made today by Harvard Kennedy School Dean Douglas Elmendorf. Okonjo-Iweala begins her fellowship this month.

“Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will bring to the Kennedy School a wealth of practical experience and insights into the development challenges and achievements in Africa and across the developing world,” Elmendorf said. “As the longest-serving finance minister in Nigeria and a leader at the World Bank for more than two decades, she engineered successful new approaches to fostering sustained and inclusive growth in developing countries. She will enrich our campus conversation on the public policy choices needed for effective governance that serves societies.”

In October 2019, Okonjo-Iweala delivered the Robert S. McNamara Lecture on War and Peacein the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Kennedy School. “I am honored to be able to return to the Kennedy School as the Angelopoulos Fellow, and to work with students and faculty who are wrestling every day with the world’s most complex development problems,” she said.

Okonjo-Iweala was the longest-serving finance minister in her native Nigeria and the first woman to hold that position. She was also the first female foreign minister. Okonjo-Iweala drove systemic financial reforms and strengthened fiscal transparency to fight corruption, tripling the country’s growth rate. She also negotiated a $30 billion reduction in Nigeria’s external debt. In her 25-year career at the World Bank, she rose to the No. 2 position of managing director of operations and oversaw the development portfolio for South Asia, Africa, Europe, and Central Asia.

A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University (1976), Okonjo-Iweala earned her doctorate from MIT and has been awarded 15 honorary degrees. She was recognized as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world by Forbes magazine for four years in a row, and by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019. Currently, Okonjo-Iweala is chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which has immunized 760 million children in the developing world against infectious diseases. She is also co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate.

The Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Program was established with support from Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, president of the Athens 2004 Olympics, former ambassador of Greece, lawyer, and recently appointed committee chair of “Greece 2021.” The program provides opportunities for high-profile public leaders who are transitioning from office or other leadership roles to spend time in residence at Harvard Kennedy School reflecting, teaching, learning, and conducting research. During her time at the Kennedy School, Okonjo-Iweala will meet with students and scholars as well as lecture, write, and participate in public discussions and forums.

Okonjo-Iweala becomes the fifth Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow since the program’s inception in 2011. Previous fellows are Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia; Ban Ki-moon, former secretary-general of the United Nations; Tarja Halonen, former president of Finland; and Felipe Calderon, former president of Mexico.

SOURCE: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/announcements/ngozi-okonjo-iweala-named-next-angelopoulos-global-public-leaders-fellow-harvard

A millionaire Igbo businessman, Uche Obi, and three other residents of Taraba state have been kidnapped in Jalingo -the state capital. Obi’s abduction, which took place on Saturday 01 February night, was not known until Sunday when his abductors dropped a letter at the gate of his home, notifying that Obi was in their den.

It was gathered that this is the second time Obi is being kidnapped. He was also kidnapped six years ago, while his late father was kidnapped in 2012.

Sources said Uche Obi was picked when he closed work at the Star Exclusive, a one-star hotel he built to contribute to the tourism sector of the state. The abductee’s younger brother, Abouy Obi, who confirmed the incident to The Nation, however, said he does not know exactly where his brother was picked.

Obi’s wife has been calling the phone number given by the kidnappers, but no one has picked her call to establish communication, Abouy said.

“He got missing on Saturday. He goes to gym at the Star Exclusive Hotel, so we had thought he was there. But he was neither at home nor at the business centre (hotel). As a matter of fact, I can’t tell where he was picked. We have been calling his phone numbers but none is connecting.

“On Sunday, his captors placed a note at the gate of his house. The note was placed without the notice of those who are staying in the house. The note indicated a phone number to be called. We have been calling the number, which is ringing, but nobody is picking. There is nothing we can do; we’re just waiting for their call to hear their demands,” Abouy said.

It was gathered that three other residents of Jalingo, in Gurum, behind Jolly Nyame Stadium, were kidnapped on Sunday. An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the kidnappers, numbering eight, came with sophisticated weapons. He added that the gunmen operated in the area uninterruptedly for over two hours.

Police spokesman, David Misal, told reporters that the police command was yet to be briefed of the abduction of Obi and the others.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.independent.ng/just-in-millionaire-businessman-kidnapped/

Kolade Arowolo will never forget Friday, June 24, 2011, the day he lost his cool, grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed his wife, Titilayo, several times, killing her in the process. 3 years later, precisely on Friday, February 21, 2014, Arowolo was convicted of murder by Justice Lateefat Okunnu at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja and sentenced to death by hanging.

For the 6th year running, he is still in Kirikiri Prison, weighed down by guilt and waiting for the hangman to come. If he had been nursing beautiful dreams of the future, as natural with all humans, the domestic violence of June 24, 2011 put paid to them and altered the course of his life.

Arowolo’s ill-fated marriage to late Titilayo story should serve as a big lesson to everyone and an indication that domestic violence destroys lives and brings misery to many married couples. But it seemed such a lesson eluded Ibadan-based lawyer, Yewande Oyediran, who, on February 2, 2016, stabbed her husband, Lowo, to death with a kitchen knife during an altercation at their Akobo residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Justice Muntar Abimbola of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, in November 2017, convicted Yewande of manslaughter and sentenced her to 7 years imprisonment. Although she was pardoned by the then Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, and regained her freedom in May 2019, Yewande can never erase from history the fact that she once took a human life. Whenever people talk about the danger of domestic violence, she will always be a point of reference.

Beyond Arowolo and Yewande’s cases, cases of domestic violence resulting in the death of a partner appear to be on the rise in Nigeria. For example, 49-year-old Udeme Otike-Odibi is currently standing trial before the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere for allegedly stabbing her husband, Symphorosa, to death and mutilating his corpse with a knife on May 3, 2018 in their home at Diamond Estate, Sangotedo, Ajah, Lagos.

Otike-Odibi, a lawyer, is currently an awaiting-trial inmate at Kirikiri Prison. She faces the death sentence if convicted by Justice Adedayo Akintoye.

Only last week, Abuja-based Maryam Sanda was sentenced to death for murdering her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, in November 2017. The mother of two, it was gathered, pounced on her husband with a kitchen knife at their residence on 4 Pakali Close, Wuse 2, Abuja and stabbing him to death.

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja pronounced that Sanda would pay for Bello’s blood with her own blood because “it has been said that thou shall not kill. Whoever kills in ‘cold blood’ shall die in ‘cold blood’.”

While the nation was still dealing with the emotional reactions to Sanda’s widely-publicised conviction, news broke that 19-year-old Rabi Shamsudeen of Danjanku village, Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State had stabbed her 25-year-old husband, Shamsudeen Salisu, to death. Confirming this murder, the spokesman for the Katsina State Police Command, Gambo Isah, said Mrs Shamsudeen’s neighbours reported seeing her with a blood-stained knife.

Also, on the day of the 2015 presidential election, a 26-year-old pregnant woman, Onyiyechi Akunne, reportedly stabbed her husband, Abuchi Akunne, to death, following an argument over “Baba Ijebu” lotto tickets. Onyiyechi was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment on May 8, 2017 by Justice Josephine Oyefeso of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.

In June 2018, a 24-year-old schoolteacher, Olamide Akinbobola, appeared before the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Ebute Meta, for fatally stabbing her husband, Dare Akinbobola, on May 30, 2018 at No. 1, Olupebi Abijo Street, Gbaga, Ikorodu.

In January, 2019, 35-year old Uwaila of Ovbiogie village in the Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State shot his wife and two sons over alleged infidelity.

The foregoing are but only a few of several cases of domestic violence that resulted in deaths across the country. At the centre of these regrettable cases lie infidelity, jealousy and uncontrolled anger.

Coordinator of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, in an interview with our correspondent, said the rising incidence of of domestic violence, which often ends in mortality, should give Nigerians cause for concern. To break the cycle of violence, Vivour-Adeniji calls for a change in the thinking that all cases of domestic violence can be “settled.”

Stressing the need to avoid loss of human life by initially separating a warring couple, she said, “A case of domestic violence can be a murder case. That is why the society, religious leaders and community leaders have to appreciate the fact that it is not all cases of domestic violence that come to their table that ‘should be settled’.

“When there is a threat to the life of a partner and it appears that he or she lives in constant fear of his or her life, then there is a need for definite action to be taken to prevent loss of life.

“Some people ask whether we encourage married couples to seek divorce. No, the decision to divorce rests with the parties concerned. But when there is a threat to life, it is imperative for the parties to be separated so that they can stay alive. It is people that are alive that can work on their marriage. Hope for a change or apply for psychosocial support.”

Vivour-Adeniji said that having realised the seriousness of domestic violence, the Lagos State Government had in 2007 promulgated the Protection Against Domestic Violence Law 2007. The law was amended in 2015.

She said, “That law is quasi-criminal and quasi-civil in nature. The major goal of the law is to protect victims of domestic violence. This can be done by encouraging survivors or victims to apply to the court for an order restraining the perpetrator or the abuser from causing more harm.

“The beauty of that law is that survivors can go directly to court. They don’t need any lawyer, NGO or individual to apply for a restraining order. It encourages busybodies to take definite action so as to ensure that a survivor is protected.” Vivour-Adeniji urged Nigerians not to wait till domestic violence had resulted in death before finding a solution to it.

“We have some people whose self-esteem has been destroyed due to disability. Some have either lost their limbs, sight or suffered hearing impairment. We also have people who cannot hold down jobs because they can’t focus. We have people that are suicidal, who are experiencing one mental health challenge or the other, as well as people that have become clinically depressed and are now out-patients in psychiatric hospitals,” she said.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/misery-grows-as-lovebirds-turn-spouse-killers/

Trovants are extraordinary rocks that grow and multiply, and they are found in Romania. They aren’t just unique because of their ability to multiply; they are composed mainly of a hard stone core and the rest made up of sand which forms around the core as its shell.

Trovants can only be made by highly-porous sand accumulations and sandstone deposits that are cemented by waters rich in calcium carbonate. The name “Trovant” (trovanti) was given by the naturalist Gh. M. Murgoci in his work “The Tertiary in Oltenia”.

WHAT MAKES THESE ROCKS MULTIPLY?
Water rich in calcium carbonate is essential in forming a Trovant, and that is also the key to make the rock grow in the presence of rainwater. After every heavy rain shower, Trovants absorb the rain’s minerals. The minerals are combined with chemicals already present in the stone that later creates a reaction and pressure inside. The pressure spontaneously makes the rock grow from the center to its margins and multiply, with a deposition rate of about 4-5 cm in 1000 years.

Trovants usually appear with smooth and edgeless shapes - cylindrical, nodular, and spherical.Trovants develop these various shapes as they grow and multiply, due to irregular cement secretion. These formations range from a few millimeters to as large as 10 meters.

Trovants aren’t only strange due to their structure and ability to grow and multiply. They can also move from one place to another. Other than that, they also have root-like extensions and age rings visible when you cut the stone, but scientists have yet to find out an explanation of these unique features.

These rocks came into existence because of earthquakes which occurred 6 million years ago. The sand reservoir was created after the successive sedimentation of detritic material transported by the rivers.

If you want to see these rocks up-close then head right away to Romania’s Valcea County. You can either go to a sand quarry near Costeşti village or along a river in Gresarea Brook nearby Oteşani village, approximately 15 km from Horezu. You can also see Trovants at the “Trovants Museum” Natural Reserve run by the Kogayon association which aims to raise awareness about protecting the environment. This museum located inside Costeşti village is protected by UNESCO.

With combined characteristics of a plant and a rock, it’s confusing if these Trovants should be categorized as living or non-living creatures. But whether alive or not, these growing stones are surely interesting to see, touch and use. Besides its popular use as a building material for tombstones, locals also use them in making souvenirs.

Apart from Romania, you can also see the growing stones in Russia, the Kazakhstan steppes, Czech Republic, and other places.

SOURCE (abridged): https://whenonearth.net/trovants-growing-stones-romania/

At 11pm on Friday 31 January 2020, the UK officially left the European Union after 47 years of membership. As the first country ever to leave the bloc and strike out alone it is a truly historic moment – although almost nothing has yet actually happened.

The UK has been fighting tooth and nail both internally and with the bloc for the last three-and-a-half years but now there is an uneasy quiet. Boris Johnson may have delivered on his election promise to ‘Get Brexit Done’ but, in reality, the hard part has yet to start.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT FOR THE GOVERNMENT?
February 1 marks the beginning of a new phase of negotiations between the UK and Brussels to agree the shape of the future relationship. This transition period lasts until December 31 2020, during which time the UK remains an EU member in all but name and has to abide by its rules and still pay into its budget.

The Prime Minister has said that 11 months is enough time to hammer out an agreement on trade as well as other potentially thorny issues including security, energy, transport links, fishing rights, data flow and citizens’ rights.

Brexit was originally scheduled for March 2019 with a transition period until the end of this year. Despite the delay, Mr Johnson still wants to stick to the original time frame even though there is the option to extend for up to two years. The EU has warned that trade deals typically take years to complete and few in Brussels believe the transition period will be long enough.

If a trade deal cannot be sorted then the default option is no deal. This means the UK would switch to trading with the bloc under World Trade Organisation terms that impose import duties and controls. EU Brexit adviser Stefaan De Rynck said this cliff edge remains a ‘distinct possibility’ and the next 11 months are likely to see a stand-off between the two sides.

A trade deal would be easier if the UK was willing to remain aligned with EU regulations but Westminster has refused. The EU says it will not seal a trade deal with a large, economically powerful neighbour without solid provisions to guarantee fair competition.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pointed out they will focus on ‘level playing-field’ issues — environmental and labour standards, as well as state aid rules — to ensure Britain would not be able to offer products on the bloc’s single market at unfairly low prices.

One of the biggest issues is likely to be fishing rights. Regaining control of British waters was a major issue for Brexit campaigners but Brussels has linked access for EU boats to access to EU markets for Britain’s giant financial sector.

WHEN DO TALKS START?
Although on paper the EU and Britain have 11 months to strike a deal on future relations, in reality the time frame is much smaller. Talks will not formally start until after EU governments agree a negotiating mandate, likely to be around February 25.

That means it looks like it will be March before anything starts to happen. The two sides would then have to strike an agreement by the middle of October to leave time needed to translate the treaty into the EU’s 23 official languages and secure the required parliamentary ratification before year-end.

But negotiations between the world’s sixth biggest economy and a 27-nation single market with a population of 450 million could be an uphill struggle. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen warned Britain on Wednesday that it won't get the highest quality access to the European Union's market after Brexit unless it makes major compromises.

WHO LEADS THESE NEGOTIATIONS?
The UK government has been keeping its cards close to its chest about what happens next. Mr Johnson has spoken of a ‘tariff-free, quota-free deal’ but it is unclear what his specific goals are or when these red lines and wishlists will be published.

The Department for Exiting the European Union has been formally dissolved and Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay also lost his job at 11pm on January 31. There are also set to be changes to the functions of the Treasury, the Department for International Trade, the Foreign Office and the Home Office.

Michael Gove, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, continues to head a special Exiting the EU operation committee, known as XO, and is expected to continue to have a key role in the next phase. He has promised the devolved governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland a say on future EU talks despite their rejection of the Brexit Bill.

The Prime Minister, who is keen to ‘move on’ from Brexit, is expected to give a major speech next week in which he will set out his aims for a new relationship with the EU. Brexit advisor David Frost will lead a team of 40 officials in a new ‘Taskforce Europe’ and attempt to strike a trade deal. The team will report directly to Mr Johnson and be supported by two deputies drawn from the Foreign Office and the Treasury.

Diplomatic efforts with other EU member states will be led by Mr Johnson himself, supported by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. Trade Secretary Liz Truss has been sidelined as the Department for International Trade appears to have no clear role in the trade negotiations. Instead, it is their job to drum up new business plans with the wider world and first on the list is Donald Trump’s USA.

The UK had been barred from holding formal trade negotiations with other countries while it was an EU member. The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator has been ever present in the process since Britain voted to leave the bloc, heading Brussels’ team in the first phase of divorce talks. The former French minister and veteran politician has been commended across Europe for his handling of the tricky and high-profile task and for keeping the other 27 members united behind his strategy.

The European Commission has asked Barnier – an ex-EU commissioner well-versed in the mysteries of the bloc’s law – to remain in the post for the next stage of negotiations.

DOES THE UK GOVERNMENT HAVE ANY POWER IN THE EU ANYMORE?
All the UK’s 73 MEPs have now lost their jobs in the European Parliament and therefore the UK will have zero say over the EU rules that it must abide by for the next 11 months. Mr Johnson won’t attend EU meetings and will have to be specially invited if he wants to join other leaders at EU Council summits in future.

For now, the UK remains in the single market and the customs union as part of the transition agreement. The European Commission will have the power to investigate if the UK breaches EU laws and the European Court of Justice will have the power to impose fines.

The UK government will continue to contribute to the EU budget, which is estimated to be around the £10 billion mark based on previous bills.

SOURCE (abridged): https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/31/where-does-brexit-leave-boris-johnson-and-the-uk-government-12150972/

This isn't some sort of photo-shopping trick. Blue bananas actually exist in the wild and they taste just like vanilla ice cream. Called Blue Java bananas, Ice Cream bananas, Hawaiian bananas, or Ney Mannan, this fruit is hardy, cold-tolerant, and is said to be the same consistency as ice cream. And on top of that, it tastes like sweet vanilla custard.

Unlike normal bananas you can buy in the store, the blue java boasts a silvery blue peel when ripened. Hard to compare to the pale yellow we normally associate with a typical banana! The banana variety originated in Southeast Asia, then spread to Hawaii, Fiji, the Philippines, and Central America as reported by Live Love Fruit.

WHERE TO FIND BLUE JAVA BANANAS
While you can book a trip to Hawaii or Fiji to grab one of these bananas straight from the tree, it's totally possible to buy a bushel of this fruit online when they are in season. One purveyor, Miami Fruit, sells a variety of tropical fruits including jackfruit, durian, mangosteen, and blue java bananas.

HOW TO EAT IT
Given the cost of the fruit (that is if you don't grow it yourself) we recommend eating these sweet nanas plain, letting you completely enjoy the flavor and texture. However, if you find yourself with a whole stockpile of bananas, they go great in smoothies, as a topping for ice cream, or even dipped in chocolate and frozen. You could even make "nice-cream" out of it by freezing the banana then blending it in a food processor for a few seconds. However you enjoy it, make sure to save a few bananas to share with friends.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.wideopeneats.com/blue-java-banana/

Eko Atlantic Sets The Stage For Potential Green City Status As It Secures Its First IFC EDGE Certification

Alpha1, Eko Atlantic City’s flagship office tower, is the first building in the city to secure the International Finance Corporation’s EDGE certification. The EDGE certification demonstrates Eko Atlantic’s commitment to becoming the first green city in Lagos.

EDGE, which stands for ‘Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies’, cuts down building energy and water consumption by at least 20% while lowering greenhouse-gas emissions.

As the roles of resource efficiency and sustainability become more apparent in preserving our planet, Eko Atlantic City has secured its first-ever EDGE certification from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.

The certification was awarded to Alpha1 Towers, Eko Atlantic City’s pioneer office building completed in 2016, following its fulfilment of IFC’s criteria to reach the minimum standard of using 20% less resource intensity in energy, water, and embodied energy in materials.

EDGE certification has become a worldwide trend with nearly 9 million square meters of floor space certified to date. The estimated energy savings are over 360,000 MWh per year, with over 9.5 million m3 of water per year and over 206,000 tCO2 of carbon dioxide per year, among other benefits.

Ronald Chagoury, Jr, Vice Chairman, South Energyx Nigeria Ltd, who are the city planners and developers of Eko Atlantic, said, “At Eko Atlantic, we are determined to build a green city, one that is future-ready. By encouraging developers to construct resource-efficient buildings such as Alpha1 has done, we have a unique opportunity to create an eco-friendly city that will have a high percentage of green buildings that have been certified to standards such as EDGE. This means that Lagos State will raise the bar and usher in a new era in the development of green cities.”

“The market potential for green buildings in emerging markets is estimated at $24.7 trillion by 2030, according to IFC’s recent report, Green Buildings: A Finance and Policy Blueprint for Emerging Markets,” said Marcene Mitchell, IFC’s Global Head for Climate Strategy and Business Development, who leads the EDGE program.

“Eko Atlantic’s encouragement of EDGE certification for its properties validates the opportunity for green buildings in Nigeria and demonstrates their understanding of the importance of pursuing a more low-carbon path.”

By receiving the EDGE certification, Alpha1 joins a line-up that includes Cornerstone Towers (Lagos, Nigeria), Atlantic Tower (Accra, Ghana), and Citra Towers (Jakarta, Indonesia), among many others. So far, in Nigeria, 370 homes have been EDGE certified with over 2,010 tCO2 of carbon dioxide to be eliminated per year.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/01/31/eko-atlantic-sets-the-stage-for-potential-green-city-status-as-it-secures-its-first-ifc-edge-certification/

For engaged couples with a wedding on the horizon, it’s important to take stock of your relationship before, not after, you walk down the aisle.

Instead of spending all of your time and energy planning the wedding, think about investing some of those precious resources in your relationship ― particularly if you have doubts about whether you want to get into a lifelong partnership with the person you’re engaged to.

Below, marriage therapists reveal the behaviors that are serious enough to warrant postponing the wedding until you and your partner work things out. And if things still don’t improve, perhaps it’s worth re-evaluating the relationship as a whole.

1. They frequently put other people and plans before you.
Does your partner cancel plans with you when something better comes up with his buddies? Or maybe she picks up a non-urgent work call while you two are out to dinner celebrating your birthday. If so, it might be a sign that your partner isn’t prioritizing you and your relationship.

“People get married for lots of reasons,” marriage and family therapist Aaron Anderson told HuffPost. “It’s not always for love. Make sure you’re not marrying someone who’s marrying you out of convenience. Make sure they’re putting you first. You don’t want to be the understanding spouse for the rest of your life, or soon you’ll start feeling like a doormat.”

2. They don’t communicate well.
Instead of having a productive conversation about a tricky topic ― like sex, family issues or money ― your partner either argues with you about it or just avoids the discussion altogether. It’s been said time and time again, but communication really is the cornerstone of a strong marriage. If you can’t talk candidly about the tough stuff, you might not be ready for marriage quite yet.

“The problems that develop when long-standing problems remain unsolved can ruin your relationship,” Tina Tessina, psychotherapist and co-author of How to Be a Couple and Still Be Free, told HuffPost. “Make it a point to talk about whatever seems difficult: You need to know how well you two can discuss the difficult things that will arise during a lifetime together.”

And if you can’t find a way to discuss these things without it turning into a blowout fight, it may be wise to see a couples therapist who can help you sharpen your communication skills. “If that doesn’t work, the relationship probably won’t work either,” Tessina said.

3. They’ve cheated on you.
Infidelity doesn’t necessarily have to be a dealbreaker, but it’s certainly something that might give you pause leading up to the wedding. If your partner is genuinely remorseful and willing to do the work to uncover what drove them to be unfaithful in the first place, that’s a good sign. Before tying the knot, it’s also worth taking a closer look at any underlying issues in the relationship that could have contributed to the infidelity.

“While I disagree with the saying, ‘Once a cheater, always a cheater,’ there are always some significant mindset and behavior changes necessary to prevent this behavior from repeating,“ Kurt Smith, a therapist who specializes in counseling men, told HuffPost. “These new changes should be proven before getting married.”

4. They’re dealing with addiction issues: drugs, alcohol or gambling.
Again, this one doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker if your partner is truly committed to their recovery. But untreated addictions can put a significant strain on the relationship, so you should not just turn the other cheek ― no matter how much you may love this person. If they are ready and willing to get help, that’s one thing. But if they’re still in denial, that’s another.

“Addictions aren’t easily or quickly resolved,” Smith told HuffPost. “It would be a big mistake for a partner to think they’ll be able to change this problem behavior about their future spouse. I can’t tell you how many spouses I’ve counseled who overlooked this in the beginning because they thought it wouldn’t be that bad.”

5. They’ve recently gone through a major life event like a career change, big move, or the illness or death of a parent.

These are not reasons to call off the wedding altogether, but they may be enough for you to at least consider the timing of your nuptials. It might be worth postponing the wedding until things settle and some level of normalcy returns to your partner’s life.

“Trying to build a foundation on shaky ground is never a good idea,” Susan Pease Gadoua, marriage therapist and the co-author of The New I Do: Reshaping Marriage for Skeptics, Realists and Rebels, told HuffPost. “One couple I worked with was struggling from the fallout of the husband’s father’s illness, which took the newly married husband away from his wife. Although she understood on the one hand, on the other, she was resentful of how much he had to take care of his father. From her perspective, this should have been their newlywed time together.”

“In turn, he became resentful toward his new bride because she didn’t understand his relationship with his dad,” Gadoua continued. “Looking back, the wife could see that her husband was not fully present on their wedding day and those months prior. Intuitively, she knew he was not in a position to get married, but she thought they could ride the storm together.”

6. They’re controlling and emotionally volatile.
We all have good days and bad days. On bad days, we may not be the best versions of ourselves ― perhaps we’re cranky or short-tempered. But is bad behavior the exception or the rule with your partner? If, more often than not, your partner is having emotional outbursts, trying to control you (which could be a sign of emotional abuse) or exhibiting narcissistic behaviors, these are major warning signs that shouldn’t be ignored, Smith told HuffPost.

“Any behavior of this kind should be discussed with a mental health professional to determine the significance,” Smith said. “If characteristics such as these or others make you question if they might be a problem, they must not be ignored. These are some of the big causes for partners seeking marriage counseling later on.”

7. They’re dealing with significant mental health issues.
In a given year, nearly 1 in 5 American adults will experience a mental health condition. It’s that common. But if your partner is dealing with a severe, debilitating issue, the stress of an upcoming wedding may only add to their already very heavy mental and emotional load.

“I had clients who came in for premarital therapy a month before the wedding date and with each session, the male client slipped deeper and deeper into a dark hole of depression,” Laura Heck, couples therapist and creator of the online couples therapy series “ForBetter,” told HuffPost. “He hired an individual therapist who specializes in depression, who recommended he check himself into the hospital for a few days to keep him safe from self-harm. This was a major red flag and the point where it should have been clear that the wedding date was no longer the top priority.”

Against Heck’s advice to postpone the wedding, the couple married days after the groom was released from the hospital.

“Weddings can be stressful events; in fact a wedding scores a 50 out of 100 on the life change unit scale,” she said. “Anyone can experience an increase in anxiety or any preexisting conditions; however, suicidal thoughts and self-harm behaviors should take precedence and give pause to the decision to move forward with a looming wedding date. My recommendation is to postpone it and get to the bottom of where these symptoms are coming from.”

8. They keep secrets from you.
Say your partner went over budget one month or had dinner with an ex: Do they tell you, or say nothing and hope you don’t find out? Admitting our wrongdoings isn’t easy; it requires honesty and vulnerability. But ultimately, being upfront about these mistakes can help build a strong foundation for your future together.

“Lying to your partner about whether you have broken an agreement does more damage than breaking the agreement,” Tessina told HuffPost. “If you slip up, tell the truth. If it’s your partner who has slipped, be open to listening to him or her without blaming or getting upset, so the two of you can negotiate a solution to the problem.”

In any successful relationship, trust must be mutual, Tessina added. “By that definition, if there’s a secret you don’t want to share, something may be wrong with the trust between you,” she said. “Sharing damaging secrets is an excellent way to test the viability of the relationship. I advocate sharing all.”

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.huffpost.com/entry/when-to-call-off-wedding_n_5abd3562e4b03c9964e2d751?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAu_v6TQYQTEr9gxPmZtmeIPGyJYGgeB1RZxwIg4wp12Ejrpt-1mYAum64GVvw069PTXP-GsyfG6qgfj_YBc0RL1ZoH3RIhq5S_7f9SI3g7DmHV-vr5DKL_eGnsevVK_d7iYiNSoV0-kX1cgZpmEVB-eLNxA3Di4mv4-43kOem0Y

Donald Trump has become the first US president to attend America's largest annual anti-abortion rally. He addressed thousands of protesters at the March for Life near the US Capitol where his impeachment trial is ongoing.

Mr Trump said: "We're here for a very simple reason: to defend the right of every child born and unborn to fullfil their God-given potential."

The annual demonstration first began in 1974 - a year after the US Supreme Court legalised abortion in Roe v Wade. Until now no president had ever attended the march, which takes place just steps from the White House, though previous Republican presidents, including George W Bush and Ronald Reagan, have addressed the group remotely.

Mike Pence became the first sitting vice-president to attend the rally in 2017. Mr Trump's appearance at the 47th March for Life delighted protesters. Voters who support limiting abortion make up a key constituency for Mr Trump, who is seeking their support at the polls again in the 2020 election.

On Friday, marchers in Washington shouted "four more years" and "we love you". On the streets surrounding the National Mall vendors selling Trump flags and Make America Great Again hats were aplenty. Many of the attendees sported pro-Trump merchandise, though for some, there was a distinction between liking the president and liking his anti-abortion stance.

One young woman, Julia, told the BBC: "I'm not necessarily pro-Trump, but I appreciate that the President of the United States is making the move to be here." She added that she was unhappy at all the focus on Mr Trump as opposed to the issue. "Until the day we can see Roe v Wade switched, [the movement] will continue, whether he's president in the next election or not."

Chuck Raymond, a financial advisor in St Louis, said: "Without a doubt, he is the most pro-life, pro-family, pro-religious freedom president we've ever had."

Mr Trump's appearance on Friday has already made a difference for some voters. Jose Sandoval, who drove nine hours from Knoxville, Tennessee, to participate in the march, said he did not vote for Mr Trump in 2016, but his attendance has changed Mr Sandoval's mind for 2020.

"I really appreciate what he's doing for us," he told the BBC. "It matters what he thinks about [abortion], and this changed my thinking about him."

Mother-daughter pair Marci and Jeanette Houle had a similar journey down to the capital - 10 hours in a bus from New Hampshire. Marci said they appreciated that the president was backing up his anti-abortion stance with his presence. "We voted for Trump in the first place because he was the pro-life [anti-abortion] choice, that was our main concern. If his opponent [in 2020] is not pro-life, we're going to vote for Donald Trump."

In 2016, 81% of Evangelical voters - a group for whom abortion is the biggest political issue - backed Mr Trump for president. He has continued to court them as his re-election campaign ramps up. March for Life president Jeanne Mancini said Mr Trump and his administration "have been consistent champions for life".

But pro-choice groups said his appearance was a distraction tactic. Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said it was "a desperate attempt to divert attention from his criminal presidency and fire up his radical base".

America's two main political parties are more polarised than ever on the issue of abortion. Democrats campaigning for November's White House election are unapologetically pro-choice - something many March for Life attendees said made the candidates inaccessible to anti-abortion supporters, even if they disliked Mr Trump.

In 2016, the Democratic party for the first time included in its platform a call to repeal the Hyde Amendment, a decades-old law that prohibits using taxpayer money for abortions. Last year, leading White House contender Joe Biden was sharply criticised by his Democratic rivals for initially backing the Hyde Amendment. Amid uproar from the party's liberal base, he reversed course in June.

Mr Trump, meanwhile, has bolstered support for anti-abortion views within the Republican party. In 2018, he was the first sitting president to address the Campaign for Life gala, sponsored by the Susan B Anthony List anti-abortion political action group. Earlier this week, the group announced it would spend $52m (£40m) in support of the president and Republicans in 2020.

Mr Trump has appointed conservative judges, banned clinics receiving tax money from promoting abortions and barred federal money going to foreign organisations that educate about or perform abortions.

Anti-abortion activists across the nation have been pushing abortion bans through state legislatures - measures that in some cases would bar an abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Last year, 17 states enacted some form of abortion restriction, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which promotes research on abortion access.

Anti-abortion groups hope the lawsuits will reach the US Supreme Court, which is now stacked with conservative-leaning justices, and ultimately result in Roe v Wade being overturned. Such a monumental decision would enable individual states, such as those in the South and Midwest, to enshrine the abortion bans they have already passed.

In a few weeks, the justices are expected to take up the first major abortion related case since the arrival of Trump.

Sarah Schultz, who flew in from South Dakota for the rally, said that "the presidency has helped [Mr Trump] figure out the issues for himself. He's making a clear line," she said of his appearance on Friday. "People are going to be drawn to one side or another now - they have to take a stand."

Ms Schultz adds: "I like that the issues are clearer, but in this country, we should be able to discuss our differences without getting angry."

SOURCE: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51239795

Godwin Obaseki, Edo state governor, has vowed to deal with Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), if he keeps “disrupting activities” of Edo APC.

Oshiomhole, who was instrumental to the emergence of Obaseki, fell out with the governor shortly before he declared his reelection bid. Their misunderstanding reached its height last year when the Edo house of assembly was divided among their loyalists.

Lawmakers loyal to the governor had taken oath of office secretly, leaving out their colleagues in the camp of Oshiomhole. Stakeholders in the APC did not succeed in their bid to reconcile the governor and his estrange benefactor.

Speaking at a meeting of chairmen of the APC in the 18 local government areas in Edo, Obaseki said he is prepared to “show Oshiomhole” that he is the governor of the state. He also directed the party chairmen to deal with any person or group carrying out activities that are not in the interest of the state chapter of APC.

“He is not a party man. Look at the dump he kept the party as a Secretariat. With all the resources we had he could not support the party until the landlord evicted us. You are Governor or chairman based on the platform that elevated you. That is why I looked for one of the most beautiful building along Airport Road and said this is the secretariat of the party,” he said.

“All these nonsense they are doing. If anybody in the name of our party tries to do anything contrary to what we have agreed as a party, we will deal with that person ruthlessly no matter who he is. If you are elected a chairman, your attitude should show if you believe in the party. Party supremacy means the leadership of the party must respect the membership. It is the members that make the party supreme because the members subscribed to a constitution which governs the conduct of the party. One man cannot be the party.

“I am the Governor of Edo State and I so authorise it. If anyone comes to your ward or local government to do things outside what the party has agreed I hereby authorise you to deal with that person seriously.

“We are warning the suspended National Chairman. If he continues his activities in Edo State, I will show him that I am the Governor of Edo State. While he was governor, he did not tolerate a fraction of the misdemeanour and misbehaviour he is undertaking today. I have declared that if Oshiomhole comes here to Edo to say he wants to disrupt the activities of the state and the party, we will deal with him the way we know how best to do it.”

Obaseki said Oshiomhole remains suspended and he would be expelled if he does not retrace his steps.

“Comrade Oshiomhole stands suspended from the party. In due course, we will expel him if he does not behave. The party does not belong to him, it belongs to all of us. We are following the wish of our people,” he said.

“Our next step is to make sure we convince more people to join our party so that all of us can move this state to the next level. I will give you all the support to strengthen the party at the local government. Monthly meetings must hold. Monthly wards meetings must hold. Attendance must be taken. Wherever there are issues, you sit down and discuss it.”

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/obaseki-ill-deal-with-oshiomhole-if-he-keeps-disturbing-us-in-edo

Fidelity Bank Plc has offered employment to Micheal Sowunmi, a graduate of chemical engineering, who is regarded as “the world’s greatest mathematics teacher”. In a statement on Wednesday, Ejike Ndiulo, the company’s head of corporate communications, said Sowunmi was rewarded for his passion for teaching and imparting knowledge.

He said Sowunmi will now serve as a facilitator at Crest, the bank’s training academy. Ndiulo quoted Nnamdi Okonkwo, the bank’s chief executive officer, as saying the decision is in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy “aimed specifically at uplifting the less privileged members of society.”

“Sowunmi’s case is not an isolated one we have indeed demonstrated our passion for lifting people several ways as you have seen tonight with the case of Tim Godfrey and DJ Slim V and the Fidelity Youth Empowerment Academy,” he said.

“Today, we have given them a platform this big to perform and showcase their craft to the admiration of all. We urge you to patronize them so they can grow. These energies they are displaying could have been channeled to negative vices.”

In his remark, Ernest Ebi, chairman of the company’s board of directors, said the bank has changed the lives of several youths through its Youth Empowerment Academy (YEA). He said over 2,000 students have benefited from the academy, adding that the programme seeks to empower Nigerian undergraduates with vocational skills and enterprise training which are relevant for self-reliance.

“Fidelity Bank is making the youths turn their passion into a pay cheque through empowerment programmes which includes vocational training in fashion, make-up, coding, catering and more,” he said.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/fidelity-bank-employs-worlds-greatest-maths-teacher

A group known as Coalition of Progressive Yoruba Islamic Groups (COPYIG) has described Ishaq Akintola, director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), as a big threat to southern Nigeria. Reacting to Akintola’s call for rebranding of Amotekun, a regional security outfit, COPYIG alleged that Akintola has an agenda to tear the country apart.

The MURIC director had said Amotekun has a biblical origin. He had also accused governors who floated the outfit of recruiting only Christians into Amotekun which he described as a militia. The Western Nigeria Security Network is code-named Amotekun, Yoruba word for leopard.

Mukthar Okunade, national coordinator of the coalition, said Akintola is promoting rebellion against Yoruba people.

“It is unfortunate that one Akintola who leads MURIC has consistently fanned embers of disunity in Yorubaland hiding under the guise of Islam to set brothers against brothers, communities against communities and men against women,” he said.

“Akintola has no followers. He is an extremist and a sadist. He appears to have suicide instinct. We urge him not to attempt to drag the entire Yoruba along on his pathway of mischief and treachery against the Yoruba people. In his riotous mind, blind rage and in a show of complete lack of wisdom, he claimed Amotekun is a Christian outfit. This shows how shallow and irresponsible Akintola is.

“The head of Amotekun in Ogun state is a retired AIG, Subair; the man in charge of Amotekun in Ondo state is Aliu Tijani, a retired senior police officer, the person in charge of Amotekun in Ekiti State is Chief Jinadu. Aare Ona Kakanfo Iba Gani Adams who has been supporting Amotekun is a Muslim. The Alaafin Oyo who backs Amotekun is a Muslim. We caution Akintola to halt is hatred for the Yoruba Nation.We urge him to learn to read books and bail himself out of his state of psychological disorder.

“Akintola is a big threat to Southern Nigeria, especially the Yoruba, Igbo and South South who owe the key to the liberation of Southern Nigeria from Fulani stranglehold”

The coalition also called on the Lagos State University (LASU) to sack Akintola, describing his ideas as “injurious to the search for knowledge in any decent society”.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.thecable.ng/islamic-group-muric-director-is-a-big-threat-to-southern-nigeria

Tomato Jos, an agricultural production company, says it has “commenced” a $5 million tomato processing plant in Kaduna state. The company, which operates a commercial farm system, made the announcement via its Twitter handle on Monday.

Today, the 27th of January, 2020, we commence our most audacious project yet; a 5million dollar tomato processing plant in Kaduna State. pic.twitter.com/F9TzxZHtBA
---Tomato Jos (@TeamTomatoJos) January 27, 2020

The company boasts of producing seven times the national yield of tomatoes in the country in the last 5 years. Its model is to “help smallholder farmers grow excellent tomatoes and convert those tomatoes to make high-quality tomato paste”.

“The farmers who partner with us receive support during the growing season, and are guaranteed a fair, consistent price when their crops are ready for harvest. And once our product hits the market, the consumers will get to eat fresh, delicious tomato paste while supporting the Nigerian economy,” a statement on its website read.

In a video documentary, Mira Mehta, the company’s managing director, said the factory will produce 85 tonnes of tomatoes daily.

Nigeria is reported to be Africa’s 3rd-largest importer of tomato paste, importing from China and some other Asian countries.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.thecable.ng/tomato-jos-weve-commenced-5m-processing-plant-in-kaduna

Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), says Africa will be the biggest economic miracle in the world when it wakes up to its potential. Adesina was speaking on Saturday at the Inspiration Conference 2020 of the Redeemer’s Men Fellowship (Lagos region). The conference was themed ‘Galvanised for Geometric Growth’.

“They are seeing an Africa that will soon become the size of China and India combined. When China woke up, the world changed. When Africa finally wakes up, it will be the biggest economic miracle we have ever seen.”

Adesina said the opportunities available in Africa are responsible for the surge in summits such as UK-Africa summit, Japan-Africa Summit, Russia-Africa summit and China-Africa summit. The AfDB president said foreign direct investment and economic growth in Africa is growing at its fastest.

“Last year, 17 countries grew an average of 5%, 20 countries grew at 5% and above,” he said. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa last year grew by more than 11% while that of Asia was about 4.5% and FDI for developed countries declined by 23%.

“Nearly 90% of Africa-based companies and 58% of those based in other regions expect their revenues in Africa to grow over the next five years, and most importantly to expand their African footprints in additional countries.

“This is the continent you are living in. The size of consumer businesses will rise by $5.6 trillion in the next five years. The size of the food and agricultural market in Africa will rise to $1trillion just in the next ten years. Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is worth a whopping $3.6 trillion. That is the largest Free Trade Zone in the world since the creation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

“Welcome to the new Africa.”

He said the AfDB had been supporting the growth of African countries, disclosing that a $500 million facility would soon be released to Nigeria for ICT and start-up companies.

Adesina urged the government to find a solution to the issue of unemployment in the country, noting that Nigerian youths were the future of the nation’s prosperity.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/adesina-africas-growth-economic-miracle